Old Wounds
Plot PREVIOUSLY ON BEN 10: PROTECTOR OF THE OMNIVERSE... ---- Jeremy: It's time for you to come home. Kevin: I left years ago, I said I wasn't comin' back. Jeremy: Oh, you will come back, one way or another. ---- Ben: P-Please tell me... Myaxx looks away. The three of them look at each other before walking towards the coffin. They look at it and find what they were expecting; Azmuth in the coffin, eyes closed. ---- Myaxx: Behold the Infinimatrix. Infinimatrix: Host DNA detected. It latches onto Ben's wrist as it tightens around it. ---- Ben: We stand together because I'm here to tell you... He scans the crowd as he sees Max with Gwen, Kevin, Tetrax, Gluto and Myaxx. Max gives Ben a reassuring smile. Ben: ...I'm going to continue Azmuth's legacy. Ben lifts up his arm, to reveal the Infinimatrix. ---- Kevin: We were attacked that day, by people I've been tryin' to forget, my... my old gang. ---- Gwen: Your old gang, how did you meet them? Kevin: I'll tell you later, I promise. ---- ---- FLASHBACK. We see an 11-year old Kevin lying on a bench inside an abandoned underground subway station, his arms behind his head. His eyes are half-closed, as if he is about to sleep. His worn-out bike is leaning against the bench, and stairs leading down to the floor he's on is a few feet away from him. He hears a few voices accompanied by footsteps clanking against the metal of the stairs, getting louder by the second. Voice 1: Come on, who'd come to this rat hole of a place? It stinks, it's dusty... Young Kevin's eyes widen in shock. The camera pans to the stairs, where five young boys come down from it. 2: It smells worse down here than it does up there! 3, pointing to Young Kevin's bike: Shh! Look at that! 4: Just a bike, dude. 3: There's no dust on it, which means somebody must've been here. Boy 1 walks up to the bench and looks down to see Young Kevin, eyes widened. He rolls off the bench in surprise and rises to his feet, backing off. 5: What's a kid like you doin' in a place like this? 2: Scram. Kevin: Leave me alone! 1, mocking him: What are you gonna do about it? Looking around, Young Kevin notices a street lamp at the other end of the room, by the train tracks. He sprints towards it and climbs up the pole, touching the lamp. The bulb blows, making the room dimmer. Young Kevin jumps back on to the ground and walks towards the boys, his hands glowing blue with electricity. Boys 2, 3, 4 and 5 come closer to each other and back off in fear. Kevin: Leave me alone now! If you don't, you'll be sorry. 2, to Boy 1: Dude's a freak, Jeremy! We should get outta here! 1: That changes nothing. Kevin, shooting electricity at the ground near Boy 1/Teen Jeremy: I'm warning you! Back off now! Jeremy: Whoa, whoa. Calm down. What is it you need? A place to stay where no one can find you? We can take you there. Kevin: You're just trying to use me 'cause of my powers. Jeremy: You're smarter than you look, kid, but you still need help. Look at you, you're all bark and no bite. When did you last get clean water to drink, hm? We both benefit from this. Kevin: What do you mean? Jeremy: Come with us. We'll teach you how to survive and you can help us- Kevin: -I've been survivin' by myself for a long time. I'm not sure that I trust you. I need more time to think about it. Jeremy: Alright, look. He takes out a knife from his pocket and slowly lays it on the ground. 3, whispering': What are you doing?! Jeremy, to Boy 3: Shut up. (to Kevin) Gotta come clean, I was gonna kill you, but that thing you did with that lamp over there made me reconsider. You're special. Join us and we'll help you. We'll protect you. Young Kevin shows Teen Jeremy his hands, glowing with electricity. Kevin: Do I look like I need protection? Jeremy: I was just like you, you know. Acting tough, thinking I could make it alone. I was wrong. You get desperate, you do things to survive. Sooner or later, you'll become a fugitive. But if you're still alive, that doesn't matter. Young Kevin stares at Teen Jeremy closely to get a good look at his face. Kevin: I don't buy it. Teen Jeremy raises his right eyebrow. Kevin: Maybe I'm just a kid with nowhere to go, but I know enough to stay away from people like you. Jeremy: 'People like me'? Well, if you see it that way, it's your funeral. (shrugs) We'll get out of your way. We're gonna need a favor, though. Kevin: What is it? Jeremy: (pointing to a switcher near the train tracks) See that train track switcher? Probably busted by now, but could you turn it on so we can hitch a ride out of here? Young Kevin looks at the switcher, then at Teen Jeremy one last time, hesitating. He then runs towards the switcher, holding the lever. Blue electricity flows out of him, powering the switcher along the tracks with his electricity. Not too long later, a train's roar is heard in the distance. Jeremy, as his gang approaches him: Act fast, boys. Train's coming. It'll slow down near us and when I say jump, we jump. The train's light flashes in a tunnel, as it approaches the station. As Teen Jeremy's gang prepares to jump aboard, Young Kevin begins to second guess himself. Kevin: (groans) ...Wait! Teen Jeremy turns his head around in surprise. Kevin: I'll go with you. Jeremy: I like you, kid. You're unpredictable. The gang leans over the edge, calculating the right time to leap over with precision. Jeremy: One... two... Young Kevin winces as he anxiously holds his breath. Jeremy: THREE! In a second's time, the train zooms by, and the gang narrowly makes it onto an open cart. Teen Jeremy gets up from landing position, patting the dirt off of his clothes, as he reaches a hand out to Young Kevin. Young Kevin pulls himself up, to meet eye to eye with Teen Jeremy, who cracks a mischievous smile on his face. Jeremy: Welcome aboard. We see Kevin's car driving down Gwen's neighborhood, Magnolia Terrace, approaching her house. The camera zooms into the car to reveal Kevin finishing his story to Gwen, who is in the passenger seat with her school bag on her back. Kevin: ...and I stayed with them for about two months. Did some stupid stuff. (shakes his head) It really brings back bad memories. putting a hand on his shoulder: You're past that. Kevin turns to her and smiles before pulling up outside Gwen's house. She unbuckles her seatbelt and opens the passenger door. Gwen: Wanna come in for a while? Kevin: Nah, I gotta get some things in order before college tomorrow. Gwen: I almost forgot. She reaches over to him and kisses him on the cheek. Gwen: Good luck. Kevin blushes. Kevin: Bye. Gwen climbs out of the car and closes the door behind her, walking towards her front door. We see the interior of a cafe, with brown walls and a cabin-style design. Ben, Charlie and Jonesy are sitting in a booth by the window near the entrance. Ben and Charlie are sitting opposite Jonesy. to Ben: So, what's it like to have that watch again? Ben: Well, this actually isn't the same watch. This is a new one. Charlie: Oh. Ben: But I get what you mean. It brings back lots of memories and it's fun to turn into aliens and all, but I'm just afraid I'll get overwhelmed by everything. I haven't been going for soccer practice lately because I've been so tired. Jonesy: Why don't you just quit the team? Ben: I was considering it. I don't know, we'll see how it goes. Voice on TV, offscreen: Following the resignation of... (continues in background) Ben turns his attention to the flat-screen TV attached on a wall above the counter. The Will Harangue Nation is playing. Will: ...mayoral nominations will be running from today until March 2nd. Ben: (loudly): WHAT? A MONTH? A few customers look at Ben, annoyed. Jonesy Didn't know you were into politics. Ben: I'm not, but that time frame is absurd! Charlie: The Deputy Mayor declined being mayor, so I guess they're desperate for a new mayor. Will: As of yet, there has only been one candidate, a businessman who recently moved to Bellwood, Justin Case. Mr. Case owns CaseCorp, a tech company in Rapid City. With a new branch opening in Bellwood, Mr. Case will be overseeing its development until he becomes mayor, or should I say if. (continues in background) Jonesy: Justin Case? What kind of name is that? The doorbell rings as the door opens. A few girls walk into the cafe, though Ben is focused on a pale-skinned, dark-clothed girl. teasingly grinning: You're looking at Crystal, aren't you? to Charlie: She was his first crush in elementary school. (to Ben) Isn't that right, Ben? Ben continues to stare at Crystal as she and her friends line up at the counter. Jonesy: Dude? FLASHBACK. We see eight-year old Ben walking down the busy hallway of the school with Young J.T. next to him. J.T.: I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to come and play today, Ben. My mom wants me to- Another boy with dark hair nudges his way through the two boys, pushing them aside. He continues walking without bothering to look at who he nudged. Ben: Hey! The boy immediately turns around and shoves Young Ben towards a locker. We get a clear shot of his face, revealing him to be Young Cash. Cash: Listen, punk. Stay out of my way, or the next time we meet, your money's mine. Young Ben grunts as he struggles to escape Young Cash's grasp. A few students observe the scene from afar. Young J.T., not knowing what to do, merely looks in pity at Young Ben. Voice, offscreen: Let him go! Young Cash turns his head slightly to see Young Crystal running towards him. More and more students pay attention to what's happening. Crystal: Let him go or I'll tell a teacher! Cash: Like you're brave enough. Young Cash drops Young Ben, walking over towards Crystal, slowly pinning her against the locker. Cash: And who are you supposed to be? Crystal: Just leave him alone, you jerk. Young Cash smirks, looking over to Young J.T., as he nervously makes a slight smile. Cash: Get a load of this, J.T.! She thinks she can defend- Young Ben suddenly comes up from behind, kicking Young Cash in the leg. Cash: What the-? (loudly) OW! Young Cash quickly turns back over to Young Ben, glaring, until a shadow is cast over them. They both look up to see a man wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt, with a red tie and black pants, presumably the school principal. Principal: Ben, Crystal, in my office. Now. Young Cash smirks as Young Ben is escorted away by the school principal, Young Crystal following them from behind. Young J.T. stares off into the distance, while Young Cash walks off. We cut ahead a few minutes later to the principal's office. Young Ben and Young Crystal are sitting before the principal's desk in his office. Principal: Ben. Crystal. Young Ben puts his head down, sighing. The principal smiles. Principal: Good job, you two. Young Ben sprouts upwards in surprise. Crystal: Thanks, Dad. Ben: Wait. 'Good job'? 'Dad'?? Young Ben looks over to the principal, then back at Young Crystal. Ben, to Young Crystal: He's your dad?! Young Crystal nods, giggling. Phoenix: I've escorted you here to split up the conflict between you both and the other kids. However, I'd like to note I am proud of both of you in defending and standing up for each other in a time of need. Ben: Why didn't you call Cash down here? Shouldn't you talk to him? Principal Phoenix chuckles. Phoenix: Oh, but I have. Several times. Unfortunately, there's only so much I can do for kids your age. However, if he does act up again, I want you to let me know, alright? I don't want to see anymore of that kicking, too. I'll let it pass this time, though, since you considerably well stood up and defended Crystal and yourself. Ben: Okay. Phoenix: Seeing as how I've managed to also cut off some of your class time, I think it's about time you both head back to class. Young Ben and Young Crystal nod, standing up and heading out the door. As Young Crystal exits the office with Young Ben heading out the door, Principal Phoenix suddenly signals Young Ben over by clearing his throat. Phoenix: Oh, and Ben, one more thing. Seeing how my daughter Crystal is new here, could you look after her for a little while, show her around? Ben: Oh... sure. Phoenix: Thank you. Now, head back to class. Young Ben nods, running out to catch up with Young Crystal. The two start walking down the hallway to return to their class. Ben: Man, your dad's the principal? That's so cool. He's probably the nicest I've ever seen, too. Crystal: Heh heh, yep. He gets a bit overprotective sometimes though. Anyway, thanks for the help. Young Ben smiles. Ben: See you around? Young Crystal smiles back. Crystal: See you. They then both walk separate ways at a junction, heading back to their classes. Ben, to himself: Wait, when did we get a new principal? END OF FLASHBACK. Back in the present, Ben is still staring at Crystal. Jonesy waves his hand in front of Ben's face, snapping him out of it. as Jonesy retracts his hand: Huh? Charlie: You zoned out, man. Your cappuccino's here. Ben: Eh, you know I prefer smoothies. We get a shot of the house from the front before the camera pans in. Gwen is in her room at her desk doing homework. Four books are stacked to her right, and another book is right in front of her. Her phone is to her left. She taps her pen against the table repeatedly. Gwen: Got it! She writes something down, before closing the book and putting it to the left of her phone. She looks at the stack of books on her right, before grabbing her phone. She presses the home button and swipes right on the screen, unlocking it. She taps on the 'Phone' app and taps on the 'Recent Calls' tab. 'Kevin Levin' is at the top of the list. She taps on his name and puts the phone to her left ear. The phone beeps a few times, before Kevin picks up. The screen splits into two, showing Gwen on the left and Kevin, who is in his car, on the right. He is holding his phone with his left hand and keeping his right hand on the steering wheel. Gwen: Hey, whatcha doin'? Kevin: I just did some last-minute shopping to get ready for college. What about you? Gwen: Homework as usual. Kevin: Don't you ever do anything else? sarcastically: Yeah, I fight evil. Kevin: You should take a break. You're overworking yourself. Gwen: If I could take a break, I would've done it already. People expect a lot from me. I need to live up to their expectations. Kevin: So long as you're okay with it, then. Suddenly, a loud boom is heard. Kevin: What was that? You okay? Gwen: Yeah. I- I gotta go. The screen returns to its earlier view. Gwen gets up from her chair and runs out of her room and down the stairs. We cut to the exterior of the house. Gwen runs out of the house and creates a mana platform below her, rising into the air. She sees a large cloud of smoke far away, to the right of her house. She hovers towards it, the mana platform remaining below her. We see through her eyes as she approaches a large hole in the middle of the street, between the two rows of houses. Smoke is emanating from the hole, and some of the residents of the houses are near it, while some are watching at a distance. Gwen lands on the ground in front of the crowd, still hovering a foot above the ground. spreading her arms: Stand back. The people behind her step away. She looks into the hole, but cannot see anything due to the large amount of smoke. Gwen lowers herself into the hole, descending slowly. Gwen: Tur-bo! She fires a blast of wind around and below her. The smoke dissipates, revealing Undertown below her. Right next to her is a burning building, debris falling down. There is nothing much else in the vicinity of the building, except for a man-made lake about 20 feet away. Gwen lands on the ground and the mana platform disappears. Meanwhile, we get a shot of the DX Mark 10 from above. Ben is driving home from Pratt's Coffee. The camera pans into the car. Mark 10: Incoming call from Gwen Tennyson. Ben: Answer call. Gwen's voice comes through from the other side of the line. Gwen: Hello? Ben? Ben: Yeah? Gwen: You need to come to Undertown. There's a burning building. Even worse, it caused an explosion and there are innocent people up in Bellwood who saw it. Ben: Oh, that's bad. Send me the coordinates, I'll be right there. Get everyone near the building to safety. Gwen: That's the thing. There's no one around. Ben: Then just put out the fire and wait for me. Gwen: Got it. Gwen hangs up. Ben: DX Mark 10, eject driver's seat and go home. The roof of the car retracts. Ben removes his seatbelt and raises the Infinimatrix. Mark 10: Ejecting driver's seat in three... Ben twists the dial of the Infinimatrix. Its core pops up and XLR8's hologram is displayed. Mark 10: Two... Ben slams his palm on the face of the core and is engulfed in green light. Mark 10: One. The driver's seat ejects, launching Ben into the air. Mid-air, the green light fades. landing on the ground and running off: XLR8! Infinimatrix: Coordinates received from Gwen Tennyson. Activating GPS. Gwen is outside the building from earlier, which is now outlined with a fuchsia glow. It is no longer burning, and debris is littered around it. Gwen's arms are outstretched and her eyes and hands are glowing fuchsia as well. XLR8 arrives, stopping next to Gwen. Infinimatrix: (beeps) You have arrived at your destination. Gwen: I put out the fire, but I'm not sure how long I can keep this up. Get everyone out as soon as you can. XLR8 nods and runs into the building, running in and out of the rooms. ... A flash of green light engulfs XLR8. When it dissipates, Gravattack stands in his place. Gravattack: Gravattack! He lifts big chunks of debris and sets them aside. With the top pieces of debris removed, Gravattack finds someone underneath; a male member of Ssserpent species with dark yellow scales. He is wearing a long dark blue jacket that stops at his waist. Gravattack: Ssserpent! Gravattack raises his right arm as his right hand glows white, causing the alien to hover in the air. Alien: I'm not Ssserpent! Let me go! (loudly) Somebody help! Gravattack runs through the wall, the alien still hovering under Gravattack's control. Gravattack lands in front of Gwen. The glow from her eyes and hands disappears. At that moment, the building begins crumbling. Gwen creates a mana dome above them as debris rains down. Gravattack and Gwen run further, leading them to a man-made lake in Undertown. The mana dome disappears. Gwen: There was only one survivor? Gravattack: Yes and no. He was the only one left, but I didn't see any bodies. That reminds me... (to the alien) Who are you? Alien: Put me down first. Gravattack: Oh, right. The white glow in Gravattack's hand disappears. The alien falls to the ground on his back, grunting in pain. He gets up and dusts himself. Alien: I'm not Ssserpent, but I'm positive he had something to do with this. Gravattack: What? You guys brothers with a feud or something? Alien: (sighs loudly) No. We used to be business partners. We started working together around the time Undertown came into formation. We had a falling-out a few years ago and he left. Very few people know the location of our headquarters, let alone our company's name. I don't know who else would want to attack me. Gwen: Why were you the only one in the building? Alien: I don't know. I've been away for some time. My guess is he used an ID mask to pose as me and sent everyone away. His eyes widen. Alien: Oh, no. Everything... Everything's gone. He must have had everything moved. He wouldn't just burn the building to ground to get revenge on me. Gravattack: What is 'everything'? What do you guys make? Alien: Technology. Gwen: Judging by how disappointed you are, the tech must've been higher than Level 2, which means your business is illegal. That's why this place is hidden from everyone else. You don't even have a license, do you? Alien: I'm not going to answer more questions until I have an attorney present. Gwen: Good. She takes out her Plumber's badge and shows it to him. Gwen: 'Cause we're taking you in. The alien bows his head in shame. Gravattack: Can you teleport us there? Gwen: Nah, I'm kinda tired after holding the building up. Gravattack: I've got a solution for that. A flash of green light engulfs Gravattack. When it dissipates, Portaler stands in his place. Portaler: Portaler! Alien: What was that for? Portaler: I just like doing that, okay? Portaler curls into a ball and rolls in place. A blue portal opens five feet away. Gwen creates a mana lasso and uses it to trap the alien in place. Alien: Hey! Gwen throws the alien into the portal with the lasso, then walks in after him. Portaler rolls forward into the portal. It closes behind him. The camera focuses on the debris in the background as it zooms in. A rope ladder falls down through the hole above. Four male firefighters climb down and notice the debris. The first firefighter touches the ground and looks around. 1: The fire was put out, but the bigger question is: What is this place? We see a hallway of interrogation rooms, with one-way mirrors on the walls, showing the interior of the rooms. Ben and Gwen are standing by an interrogation room near the elevator, looking into the mirror. Morty is standing to the left the door, blaster in hand. Inside the room, the alien from earlier is sitting at a table opposite Magister Patelliday. His hands are energy-cuffed to the table. Magister Patelliday gets up and walks towards the door, opening it. He walks out and closes the door behind him. Ben: How'd it go? Patelliday, shaking his head: He's a stubborn fella. Didn't tell me much. Doesn't help that he wasn't around for a few days. He's clueless. We don't know if this attack was a one-time thing or not. Gwen: Did he tell you his name? Patelliday: It was one of the only useful things I got from 'im. It's Kobura Ventum. Ben: Maybe Alpha Squad might've gotten some info. Let's go see if they came back. We skip ahead about half an hour later, where Ben and Gwen are standing by the computer, manned by Zack. The elevator dings. The elevator doors open and Molly comes out, followed by Zorian, and two others; a male Opticoid and a female Basalt. They are in their Alpha Squad uniforms. Ben, Gwen and Zack turn around to see Alpha Squad approaching them. Zack: What did you guys find? Molly: Other companies and businesses also suffered a blow, but the weird thing is that those attacks were done in secret. Ssserpent must have wanted to make a big show of burning Kobura's company to the ground. Gwen: Both literally and figuratively. Zack: Which means he must have moles in those companies and businesses. He's been behind all those attacks. Opticoid: We can try to narrow down where Ssserpent might attack next. Ben: I'd say it's a matter of when, not where. Zack: We have to assume it's soon. Gwen: Can't we get Mayor- I mean, Argit, to do something? All those attacks happened under his watch. Zorian: He was not in his office when we stopped by, and neither were his guards. He must have been abducted. Ben: Or maybe he's conspiring with Ssserpent. Basalt: He already has fame and fortune. What would he have to gain by working with Ssserpent? Ben: Don't forget, he sold his mom. I wouldn't put it past him. Zack: I'll get Beta Squad to look for Argit. In the meantime, Ssserpent is our top priority. The computer starts beeping. The words 'DISTRESS CALL. LOCATION: UNDERTOWN BANKS INCORPORATED' in big red letters pop up on the screen. Computer: Incoming distress call from Undertown Banks Incorporated. Zack: Heard you the first time, computer. The beeping sound stops. Opticoid: Ssserpent? Ben: Duh. Zack: Alphas, you know what to do. Gwen: We'll come with. I can teleport us there. Ben: You sure that's a good idea? You used up a lot of your energy back in Undertown. Gwen: Yeah, but we need to deal with Ssserpent as soon as possible, and if this isn't Ssserpent, then someone's in trouble. Ben: We need Kevin. Gwen: One thing at a time. I'll call him when we take care of whatever's happening at the bank. Zorian: Why are we still here? We're wasting time. Gwen: Agreed. Molly: Why are we just okay with walking into a trap? Ben: 'Cause we don't have another option. Zack: You should probably go now. Agent Gunther, keep me on comms. Molly nods. raising her arms: Abeo Exorior! A dome of mana encases Ben, Gwen and Alpha Squad. After a few seconds, it disappears. The mana dome appears outside a large light red building with white pillars at the corners. When it disappears, Ben, Gwen and Alpha Squad stand in its place. There is a sign in yellow letters at the top of the building saying 'Undertown Banks Incorporated'. Aliens of different species are walking around the building. It is at the corner of a row of buildings, adjacent to an alley. 'through Molly's earpiece: Agent Gunther, you there? '''Molly: Yes, Magister. There doesn't seem to be anyone suspicious outside the building. Ben: We should go inside. Gwen: We should split up. We don't want to attract attention or, even worse, cause whoever's causing trouble to run away. Basalt: The four of us will look around outside, then. You both can go inside. Ben: Wouldn't people stare at us? Not just because we're humans in a town full of aliens, but I'm pretty sure they all know who I am and I've probably put some of them away at some point. Opticoid: Better you than us. Some people don't take kindly to Plumbers. Ben: Some people also don't take kindly to me. Zorian: We'll attract attention no matter who goes in. Molly: Alright, alright, enough. (to Ben and Gwen) Go. Gwen nods. Gwen: We'll call you if we see anyone suspicious. Ben and Gwen walk towards Undertown Banks Incorporated. A male Methanosian and a male Dagger Alien are guarding the doors. The doors slide open as they approach it. They step into the building. Most of the aliens in the room look at them. Ben: Nothin' to see here. Can't two humans just enter an alien bank without having aliens stare at them? A male member of Eatle's species using the ATM machine nearest to them growls. Most of the aliens turn away from Ben and Gwen. Ben and Gwen observe their surroundings. To the left, there are five ATM machines, guarded by a male Spheroid carrying a staff, with aliens lining up to use them. A few feet in front of them, there are seats with a few aliens sitting on them. At the very back of the room, there are seven counters with bank tellers sitting behind them. Three of them are tending to customers. In the background, an automated voice is calling out numbers, assigning them to different counters.' '''Gwen': (whispering) Looks like it was a trap. We need to find out what's going on. Ben: (whispering) Yeah, but how? We can't wait around for whatever's supposed to happen, but we also can't let them know we're on to them. The doors open behind them and a female member of the Enforcer Alien's species walks in, shoving Ben out of the way as she passes by. Gwen: (whispering) We should talk to the tellers. sarcastically: (whispering) Take a number, why don't you? Gwen nudges Ben as she walks past him and towards Counter 3, which has no customers. Ben follows her, walking behind her. As Ben and Gwen approach the counter, the bank teller, a female Sylonnoid looks at them, surprised. Teller: As much as I'm a big fan of your work, Mr. Tennyson, you're gonna have to take a number. Gwen: It's an emergency. You wouldn't have happened to send a distress call to the Plumbers, would you? Teller: No. Ben: (sighs): Just as we thought. (to Gwen) What now? The Infinimatrix beeps. Infinimatrix: Incoming call from Molly Gunther. The bank teller looks at him, confused. Ben smiles sheepishly and walks towards the wall, leaning against it. Gwen follows him. Ben: (whispering) Answer call. Molly's voice comes through from the other side of the line. Molly: Ben, it's a trap. Some of the aliens sitting on the seats and behind the counter turn to look at Ben. Ben: (whispering): Yeah, I know. How did you find out? Molly: We were ambushed by two unidentified aliens. There's probably someone else inside too to keep you occupied. The screen pans to show the male Spheroid guarding the ATMs in the background. He pulls off his face, revealing him to be Bubble Helmet, with a much more advanced suit, complete with a belt with hooks for weapons. He aims his staff at Ben. Teller: Look out! Everybody takes notice of Bubble Helmet, with some of them talking among themselves. A laser shoots out from the staff, heading straight for Ben. Gwen conjures a mana shield in front of the both of them. The laser hits the shield, cracking it. The shield disappears. Ben: I assume you're number three? Bubble Helmet squints, annoyed at Ben. The two guards from outside barge into the building. Methanosian Guard, pointing at Bubble Helmet: Stand down! Bubble Helmet activates his jetpack and flies towards the guard, grabbing him by the left arm. He hovers in the air in the middle of the room and swings him around. The guard shoots a stream of fire from his right arm, blinding Bubble Helmet, who drops the guard on the seats, causing some aliens who were sitting down to run towards the doors. They open and some of the aliens rush out in panic. Ben: (loudly) EVERYONE OUT! Bubble Helmet flies towards the doors and stretches his arms out, just as more aliens head for the doors. as the Methanosian Guard gets up: I won't let you hurt these people. What's the point of all this? What does Ssserpent want? How much did he pay you to do his dirty work? Helmet, smirking: It's a surprise. Molly: Ben, what's going on? Ben: Bubble Helmet's in the bank. Gotta go. Molly: Wait, wait- Ben: Infinimatrix, end call. The Infinimatrix beeps, ending the call. Ben: Alright, enough banter. Let's do this. Ben turns to Gwen. Ben: You know what to do. Ben turns to face Bubble Helmet. Helmet: Whatcha waitin' for, Tennyson? twisting the dial of the Infinimatrix: I could say the same about you. The Infinimatrix's core pops up and Squidstrictor's hologram is displayed. Ben: Perfect. He slams down his palm on the face of the core and is engulfed in green light. When it fades, Squidstrictor stands in Ben's place. Squidstrictor: Squidstrictor! He stretches his arms out and shoots a stream of ink at Bubble Helmet's helmet, blinding him. Squidstrictor grabs him and pulls him towards him. Gwen and the two guards motion for everyone to leave the building. Everyone rushes out, including the bank tellers who climb over the counters. Gwen and the guards wait by the doors. to Gwen and the guards: Go help the Plumbers outside. Alien Guard: Our only concern is the bank. Squidstrictor: Eh, I guess I could use your help. Gwen: I'll go help Alpha Squad. Squidstrictor nods. Gwen runs out the doors just as Bubble Helmet activates his jetpack, breaking free of Squidstrictor's grip. He hovers in the air and wipes the ink off his helmet. Helmet: Not bad, kid. smirking: Just warming up. He stretches his arms towards Bubble Helmet once more, but Bubble Helmet swerves to avoid them. Helmet: That the best you can- A green vine knocks Bubble Helmet off balance', causing him to drop his staff. Squidstrictor stretches his arms towards Bubble Helmet and slams him against the ground. Helmet: Ah! As Squidstrictor retracts his arms, the Dagger Alien Guard runs towards him and pins him to the ground. noticing the baton: I'll take that, thank you. He stretches his right arm towards the staff and grabs it. As he retracts his arm, the staff starts to glow red. dropping the staff: Ow! Ow! Hot! He rubs his arm. Helmet, to Squidstrictor: (chuckles) It was designed to work for me and only me. Alien Guard: Quiet! You'll be sent to the Plumbers for- Bubble Helmet forcefully headbutts the guard, causing him to let him go. Alien Guard: Argh! Bubble Helmet hovers in the air, looking over the room. Helmet: Alright, it's time I stopped going easy on ya. He grabs a metallic spherical device from a hook on his belt and throws it on the ground, engulfing the room in smoke. Squidstrictor and the two guards cough. We cut to the dark alley near the bank, where the male Opticoid Plumber is being thrown against the wall. He falls down to the ground, breathing heavily. We pan to the left to see Mot Snikrep growling. From behind, Molly quickly jumps on Mot's back and chokes him with her right arm. Mot grabs her head with both his hands and throws her on the ground. Molly: Aah! through Molly's earpiece: Agent Gunther, any luck subduing him? Molly gets up and runs towards the other Plumber. Mot just stands there, looking at Molly and the other Plumber. Molly: No, sir. However, he doesn't seem to be doing anything evil. I mean, besides assaulting two Plumbers. He's just a distraction. Zack: Do you need backup? 'The other Plumber merges his eyes into one. A large eye pops out of his chest and glows green. The Plumber shoots a green laser beam at Mot, who holds his arms in front of his face to protect himself. Noteworthy Events Major Events *Crystal, Principal Phoenix, Kobura and Mot make their debuts. *J.T., Cash, Molly, Zorian and Bubble Helmet make their Protector of the Omniverse debuts. *Gravattack makes his Protector of the Omniverse debut. *Portaler and Squidstrictor make their debuts. Infinimatrix Alien Debut *Gravattack (Protector of the Omniverse debut) *Portaler *Squidstrictor Minor Events *It is revealed that Ben's first crush was a girl named Crystal, who he met in elementary school during the second grade. Characters *Ben Tennyson (18-year old and 8-year old selves (flashback)) *Gwen Tennyson *Kevin Levin (19-year old and 11-year old selves (flashback)) *Charlie Grant *Jonesy *Crystal Phoenix (first appearance; 18-year old and 8-year old selves (flashback)) *J.T. (first reappearance; 8-year old self (flashback)) *Cash Murray (first reappearance; 8-year old self (flashback)) *Principal Phoenix (first appearance; flashback) *Kobura Ventum (first appearance) *Plumbers **Magister Patelliday **Bryk **Magister Zack Taluno **Molly Gunther (first reappearance) **Zorian (first reappearance) Villains *Will Harangue (on TV) *Bubble Helmet (first reappearance) *Mot Snikrep (first reappearance) Aliens Used *XLR8 *Gravattack (first reappearance) *Portaler (first appearance) *Squidstrictor (first appearance) Spells Used *Tur-bo *Abeo Exorior Allusions *Pratt's Coffee is named after the actor Chris Pratt, who voices Cooper Daniels in this series. Trivia *UltiVerse researched abandoned New York subway stations in order to have Kevin be in one of them. **Originally, the 18th Street IRT Lexington Avenue Line was chosen but it was switched to the 91st Street IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line for plot convenience. *The flashback in which Ben meets Crystal took place before J.T. started siding with Cash, as J.T. was still talking to Ben. *Ben has used Portaler and Squidstrictor before the events of the series.